Read the text and mark the statements as true or false.
Snack facts
Young people in Britain eat more snacks than people of the same age in other European countries. A recent survey has discovered that 64 per cent of under-20-year-olds snack between meals. How does this compare with other countries? 58.7 per cent of young people snack in Germany, 53 per cent in France and only 40.7 per cent in Spain. What are these young Brits eating? Savoury snacks, especially crisps, are the favourite snack in the UK. Snack researchers found that the average person in Britain spends £43 on savoury snacks each year, compared with £12 for the French and only £7 for the Italians. British people are spending a total of about £2.8 billion a year on savoury snacks!
Crisps
What are crisps exactly? They are very thin slices of potato, fried in oil then covered in salt or other salty flavours. British people are mad for crisps and they like them in a huge variety of flavours. Some of the most popular flavours include cheese and onion, salt and vinegar, steak and onion, roast chicken, tomato ketchup, and cheese and bacon
Chocolate
It isn’t only savoury snacks that British people love. In fact, they spend more on chocolate than any other European country! If you go to any newsagent’s shop in the UK, you’ll see a huge selection of chocolate bars on sale. There is milk chocolate, dark chocolate and white chocolate. There are small bars of chocolate, medium-sized ones and massive bars of chocolate. You can buy mint-flavoured chocolate, chocolate-covered peanuts or raisins, chocolate with nuts, chocolate with toffee ... the list is endless! And chocolate companies are always testing out new flavours.
Health
While crisps, chocolate and other snacks can be delicious, many people are worried that young people eat too much of these kinds of foods. The Food Standards Agency \(FSA\) is a government organisation that is responsible for food safety and food hygiene in the UK. Some parents are unhappy that their children can buy snack foods that are high in sugar, salt or fat such as sweets, biscuits and crisps from vending machines in schools. Some schools have banned these types of vending machines. Advertising and marketing is another controversial area. Some people feel that advertising for junk food and unhealthy snacks should not be directed at children and teenagers. One opinion is that young people should be protected by a ban on this kind of advertising before 9 p.m. What do you think?
1. Young people in Britain snack more often than their peers in other European countries. ...
2. The favourite snack among British people is chocolate. ...
3. The average British person spends significantly more on savory snacks than people in France. ...
4. Crisps are made from thick slices of potato that are baked. ...
5. Many parents are concerned about the high sugar content in snacks available at schools. ...
6. The Food Standards Agency is responsible for food safety in the UK. ...
7. Advertising for unhealthy snacks is allowed to target children at any time of day. ...